My husband’s cousin turns 5 next week, so I decided to whip up something crafty yesterday for our gift. She LOVES princesses, which I fully indulge, so I found some fabric and got to work. My photos aren’t the greatest, but I thought I’d share how I made an apron for her.

To start:
-get some sort of cotton fabric for the body of the apron. I bought 3/4 of a yard, and had a little leftover. You might be able to get away with 1/2 a yard but don’t quote me on that.
-I also bought two yards of purple ribbon, and two yards of tulle. I used a little ribbon for the neck of the apron (you don’t need it, it’s just fun) and the rest of the ribbon plus the tulle was for a tutu.

I made a dress for her birthday last year using a Simplicity pattern, and I knew it still fit her, so I used the bodice pattern piece as a guideline for the apron pattern.

I ended up with two pieces like this, and pinned them right sides together. I should have made the side ties now, and pinned them in, but I didn’t because I’m a goober. Scroll down and see how I fixed it, then when you make your apron, put your side ties in here.

I sewed the sides and bottom together, then turned it inside out through the open top seam (near the neck). I ironed it, and poked all the corners out so it looked nice and crisp.

Make your own bias tape for the neck straps and ties. I cut a 3 inch strip, about 15 inches long (make it as long as you want your neck strap or ties) and ironed it in half. Then open it up, and fold each side in to the crease from the first ironing you did. Then fold it in half, and iron that original crease one more time. It’s really easy, and very worth it.

I pinned some purple ribbon across the top seam, which was open from when I turned it inside out. I didn’t bother sewing it closed before I put the ribbon on – sewing down the ribbon will close the opening. (If you don’t have/don’t want ribbon, you can make a bias tape strip to go on the neck, or just fold under the raw edges and sew it closed when you top stitch.) I then pinned my bias tape strap on one side and then the other end on the other side to make the neck loop. Make sure you fold in the end on your bias tape, so that no raw edges are sewing. Use a lot of pins, it helps.

All sewn!! Make sure you keep sewing all the way down the strap. I can’t imagine you’d stop, but just in case, I’m putting that info out there.

A look at the top of the apron, all finished.

Make two more bias tape strips, to the length that you want the ties to be (that go around your child’s stomach). I have no idea how long mine were, let’s say they’re 15 inches, like the neck strap. Sometimes I just wing it. Pin these to the sides, at the right angle where the armhole curve meets the side seam. Really, I should have made these bias tape straps in the beginning and sewed them in then. But I didn’t. See the next picture.

I wanted to topstich all the way around the apron, to make it look more finished, so I sewed the straps on when I top stitched. Meh, it works. I sewed a seam starting just where the neck strap ended, about 1/4 inch in from the edge, and went all the way around.

Yay, pretty topstitching!

And that’s it! Finished apron!

Then I whipped up a matching tutu with the rest of the purple ribbon, some pink tulle, and some white ribbon I already had. This was super simple – just sew with a long length stitch, then gather, then sew on the ribbon with a zig zag stitch. I then sewed the white ribbon on top of the zig zag with a straight stitch, just to hide the zig zag stitches. Plus it’s fancy.

About Me

25 years old, married, teaching credential in moderate/severe special education, living in Southern California. Love dogs, braille, Italy, Disney. and I think my husband Tyler and soon to be daughter Sabine are pretty much awesome.